Read Online Redemption by Lillian Duncan - Free Book Online

me.”
    Hiding her disappointment, she reached for the door handle. “Well, I hope things are going better for him than for me. I sure wish I could find a job.”
    “I’m sure you will. It just takes time.”
    “Well, I have plenty of that. I’ve got nothing but time in this place.” She crinkled her nose. “The shower doesn’t even work right.”
    “You’re kidding.”
    “The water dribbles out slower than honey from a jar.” She shrugged. “Well, it’s the best I can afford for now. I’ll manage.”
    “If you want to grab some clean clothes you can come over to my house and take a bath.”
    If she could find anything leading to Michael Zinkleman in his home…on the other hand, she was just asking for trouble if she went there to take a bath.
    But she knew how to handle trouble.
     
     
     
     

15
     
    “Wow. This is a great house. I can’t believe you can afford it on a bartender’s pay.” She walked into Ryan’s living room. The only furniture was a recliner, a TV, and a TV tray. The walls were beige, the ceiling white, and the carpet was also beige. The room was boring. Thinking of the gaudy, flamboyant tattoo on his arm, this was definitely not Ryan’s style.
    “Sure it looks nice now, but you should have seen it when I first bought it. It was a mess. Now it’s just about ready to sell.”
    “What do you mean? Sell?”
    “I buy foreclosed houses, fix them up, and sell them for a profit.”
    “Really. How cool, but it must be a lot of hard work.”
    “That’s OK. It keeps me out of trouble.”
    Mmm, interesting.
    “How many have you done so far?”
    “This is my third. The housing market isn’t great right now, but I can sell cheap and still make enough money to buy the next house. The key is to buy cheap and do the work myself.” He really was getting his act together.
    Would meeting her interfere with that? She prayed it wouldn’t.
    “Here, I’ll show you where the bathroom is.” He led her down a short hallway. He pointed at a bedroom. “This is the last room, and then the house goes on the market.”
    She peeked in. Torn wallpaper decorated the walls and a hideous orange carpet was on the floor. “What a mess. You really can fix this up as nice as the other room? Wow. You are talented.”
    He smiled with pride at her compliment. “Thanks. Unless I get distracted by a pretty woman in pink.” Pressing against her, he nudged her against the wall. She put her hands on his chest to keep him from moving in for the kill. “Hey, I have an idea.”
    “Yeah, me, too.” He leaned closer whispering in her ear.
    “While I take a shower, you go to the store, and I’ll fix you a home-cooked meal. That will be my way of saying thanks for the wonderful day at the zoo. I’m a great cook.” That was about as far from the truth as she could get.
    He sighed and moved back. “Fine. What do you want me to get?”
    “Well, it’s your meal. What would you like?”
    “Steak?”
    That was something she couldn’t mess up too badly. “Great. Get some potatoes, and don’t forget the butter and sour cream. And some salad fixings.”
    “Sure thing.”
    “And anything chocolate for dessert would be perfect.” The longer the shopping list the longer he’d be out of the house. The more time she could snoop and, hopefully, get the information she needed.
    His finger trailed down her cheek. She smiled, stood on her toes to give him a peck on the cheek, and then hurried into the bathroom. She leaned against the bathroom door waiting for her pulse to slow down. She was getting too old for this cloak and dagger stuff. It just wasn’t as much fun as it used to be and she really missed being home with Sabrina. Her daughter deserved a better mother. But Zink deserved her son, too.
    She turned the tap on and stuck her head under the water to prove she’d taken a shower. She grabbed a towel and rubbed her hair.
    Outside a car started up.
    She peeked out to make sure he’d left. Not sure how long